Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-29
THE OYSTER WAR.

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The Maryland Navy Making Things Lively
for the Chesapeake Oyster Pirates-A
Midnight Encounter and Capfure--Cun-
ming Tactics of the PoachfaE Dredsers.
BALTIMORE. Md, Dec. 24--The pirates
Of the Chesapeake bay made things lively
for the State Navy again "Wednesday
night. A feet of schooners and pungies
returned to the scene of Mondays skirm-
ish ready for fissst, but they We're ig-
ANONYMOUSLY routed and one of their yes
sells was seized as prize and is now in
Annapolis harbor.
just before dusk Wednesday evening",
the Governor Ham lton dropped anchor
about mile of swan Point, the mouths
of Chester river, and the scene OF Monday
nights attack. The moon ives out, but
its rays We're continually obscured by
heavy clouds. fleet of the pirats ves-
sells rode at anchor at a distance or
half mile. Shortly after darkness had
settled over the hav, the Thomas glidedi
noiseless past the Hamilton end took up
her nosition in the shelter of the mouth
of Chester river. She carried no lights
and her approach had not been observed
by the oysterinen. 1t was believed that
the Hamilton would be again attacked
and then the Thomas was to swoop down
on her unsuspecting assailants. Commo-
dore PIowman was aboard the Thomas,
which carries a crew of twelve men armed
with Winchester rifles (repeating). The
Hamilton was also wei equipped.
Every thing was quiet on the water till
nearly midnight. Then the lookout
aboard the Hamilton heard the clanking
of anchor chains in the vicinity of the
oystermen, and a few minutes later the
red and green lights of the fleet began to
draw near. All hands Immediately were
piped up and orders were hastily given.
The little steamer weighed anchor and
her whistle blew two shrill blasts that
were responded to by her consort.
She headed straight for the ap
pro ching lights and they separated.
Captain Turner singled out one Of them
and started in purs uit. There was a
strong breeze blowing and the flying
schooner crowded on every bit of canvass
she could carry, but the Hamilton gradu-
ally gained upon her until they were neck
and neck and not one hundred yards
apart. The captain was ordered to Ia cave
| to, but paid no attention till a volley was
fired across her bow. Then no weakened
and the Hamilton ran in close to her, COW
erlng her pilot with rifle and notified the
entire crew that they were under arrest.
A line was thrown to her, but she refused
to take it and man had to be placed
aboard.
The prize proved to be the schooner
Shiloh, Captain Frank Egan, of Balti-
more. The bow of the Hamilton was
slightly injured in boardin the Shiloh.
While the Hamilton had been engaged in
the capture, the Thomas was enjoying an
exciting chase after two other schooners.
They secured the best wind by heading
across the bay to the northeast and when
they found that their pursuer was gain
- Al~@.- f1,Atn ltfrhf 70
and disappeared. One of them was
chased to the mouth of the Gunpowder
river, distance of over ten miles,
but she had too good q start and too fair
wind to permi of her being overtaken
before she was safe in shallow water.
The prize schooner was lowed to Annapo-
lis and placed under guard.
The correspondent who had made the
trip with her learned some interesting
facts from Commodore Plowman. "These
pirates" says he, "are a tough lot and
want to get all they can lay hands on.
They don't believe the Legislature has
any right to exempt any of the oyster
grounds. and argue that the waters of the
State are free to all citizens. The ones
we have the most trouble with are from
the lower counties. You will find the
crew all in partnership with one another,
and they divide the spoils share and share,
alike, except that the captain generally
gets little extra. 1t reminds one of old
Captain Kidd and his crew. The captain
is usually big burly fellow that has
shown himself to be the best man
among his followers. You will never see
colored captain, although the crews are
about half white and half black. They
would not dare to commit the acts they do
while they are ashore, but when they are
on the bay there is not much chance OF
thsir being caught. With q good stiff
breeze they will run ten knots an hour,
and even if we succeed in overhauling
them we can not bring them to without
inning them down or firing into them. If
on throw them a line they won't take. and
the only thing to do is to run close along
side and board her. That is the way we
take most of our prizes, but it is danger
Gus and exciting work, as you can see by
Thursday nights experience.
In addition to the three steamers men.
toned, the Navy has three schooners of
thirty-fve tons burthen EACH and eight
sloops of about twenty tons. The Chesa-
peake bay is divided into districts, and
the sailing craft are assigned to various
points along either point for police duty.
They carry rifles and small cannon, and
know how to use them in cases of emer-
gency. The steamers cruise about the
waters from place to place, and are al
ways ready to suppress any disorder and
enforce the law. Oftentmes a fleet of
one hundred oyster boats will come into
forbidden waters. The sloop in that
quarter will come in among them
and they will be afraid to put
down their dredges. But they will get
the best of the sloop by dividing into two
fleets, and while one half goes east the
others will go west. The sloop can not
follow both, and the ones left to them
selves will dredge for oysters. 1t is anus
ing to see them work that w ay and keep
whipping about as the sloop goes back
and forth between them. You can not
catch more than one boat, for on the
water il is like trying to catch chickens.
They all spread out and you can onl y run
one down.
The oystermen Of the Chesapeake bay
number nearly twenty five thousand men.
The Maryland navy numbers a hundred
and one men, and they have to guard
eight hundred square miles of water,
which includes tributaries OF the bay.
Commodore Plowman does not anticipate
any further immediate trouble from the
pirates, believing he has satisfied them he
can give them the worst of the fight more
trouble is looked for.
Dynamite Revelations.
LONDON, Dec. A.-Extremely importan
and absolutely fresh dynamite revela-
tions" are promised by the police next
week. In the search for evidence against